Reminder for card players



I May 3, 1927.

1,627;208 w. L. SLAYTON REMINDER FOR CARD PLAYERS Filed July 29 1926 HONORS TRUMP5 No. of BID PLAYER LAST DEALT ZiN-YEyTCR BY.

I HIS ATTORNEYS p UNITED" STATES,

' cessful bidder must make.

Patented May 3, 1927.

1,627,208- .PATENTQOFFI WALTER L, se mon; on ronnno, OHIO.

fnniumnna 1 03 Application filed July 29,

This invention relates, to indicating devices for card players, but more particularly to a devicefor bridge players for reminding theplayersofthe number oftricks which have been bid, the trump bid, the player who last dealt, and the number of tricks taken, etc. It is well known to bridgePlayers that during the course of the game, these facts are forgottenwhich is not only annoying, but causes delay in playing.

Objects of this invention are to overcome the above objections-by providing a simple and novel device constructed and arranged visibly to indicate facts whichare frequently forgotten or overlookedwhile playinga card game; and to'providef a device for bridge players having the new and improved features of construction-and arrangement hereinafter described.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Y i Fig; 1 is a top plan view of the device with the cover plate removed and some of the parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the cover plate in place; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device; Fig. 41- is a sectionon the line-44 of Fig. Land Fig. 5 is a section on the lined-f Fig. 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a casing 1 in which are mounted stems 2 and 3 having end portions projecting through aside wall of the casing and connected to these end portions are knobs Loosely mounted on the stem 2 are blocks 5 and 6 and similarly disposed on the stem 3 are blocks 7 and 8. i The several blocks are formed with fiat peripheral surfaces, the blocks 5 and 6 having five 'surfaces, the block Thaving four surfaces, and the block Shaving seven surfaces.

Each block has several difl erent-legends on the respectiveflatsurfaces, and in'this instance, the legends on the block 5 may indicate trumps, and for this purpose these pictorially display successively, clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trump. The block 6 indicates honors and successively displays the numbers 1 to 5 on the respective fiat surfaces. The block 7 may successively bear the numbers 1 to 4 for indicating the player who dealt the previous time and the block 8 displays the numbers 1 to 7 for .indicating the number of tricks which the suc button 17 slidable in a slot 18.

CARD PLAYERS.

1926. Serial No. 125,661.

v A clutch is associated witheach block so thatwhen the respective stem is rotated in one direction, one block is turned, the other block remaining stationary, but when the. stem is rotated in "the opposite direction, the other block is rotated For example,

when the stem 2 is turned in one direction the block 5 is conjointly rotated, the block Gremannng stationary, but rotation of the stem 2 in the opposite'direction serves to rotate the block 6, and at this time the block 5 remains stationary. The side of each block lsformed with an annular recess 9, and disposed in each recess is a leaf spring 10 of 1 substantially S-form, each spring being fixed at its central part to the respective stem. It W-1ll be understood that the springs of each set are oppositely arranged so that' 'clutchmg action does not take to both blocks on the same stem when the stem is rotated in one direction. a I Yieldable means are provided forholding the blocks normally against movement, and

- forthis purpose, leaf springs 11 and 12 are provided for the blocks 6 and 8, and 5 and 7 respectively. zThe leaf spring 11 is sup ported at its central portion on a ridge 13 in the casing, and is formed with .curved end portions 14 for engaging the apexes of the block, and thereby holding the (block releasablyagainst movement. The springfll2 is similarly mounted and constructed With't-he exceptionthat the end portion engaging the block 7 1s fiat because the block? has four sides and therefore the curved end" portion 1S unnecessary.

cover plate 15 is provided for the top oi the casing 1 and formed in the cover plate are four openings l6 which are adapted to I register with theblocks 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively, sothat the legends thereon, may

be visible through t heseopenings. Indicia, suchas Honors Trumps, Number of bid, and Player last dealt, may appear adjacent thedifierent openings. In order to indicate whether bid of the successful bidder has been double or redouble, asignalis provided in the cover plate and comprises a The words Double and Redouble appear at opposite ends of the slot so that the button may i be moved into one position or the other, or if neither signal is desired, it may be moved to a central position for indicating this fact to the players.

In order to support place With respect and'hold a device in I place, a clamp 19 may be a *con-t inuation of the bottom wall of'the case and is cdi1- struoted to engage the side edgeot a table. For further enhancing the utility of this device, an extension plate 20 may also be a continuation of tl'fe'"b'ottoin'w'allo'f the casing, and is usetulto support a scoring pad, a clamp 21 being a continuation of the cover plate 15 and serving to clamp the scoring pad in place. 7 l

lVhile I have shown and described a construction which is the best form known to me at the present time, it is to beunderstood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the a spirit of the invention,- especially as defined in the appended claims. I, i

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters; Patent is:

1. An indicating device for card players comprising a mounting, a rotatable stem, a pair of blocks on said stem, yieldab-le means for holding said blocks against movement and means for clutching said blocks to said stem alternately in accordance with the direction of rotation of the stem, thereby alternately to rotate one block or the other, said clutching means comprising an element for each block normally in engagement therewith.

2. An indicating device for card players comprising a mounting, a pair of rotatable stems in said mounting and disposed in parallel relationship, apair of blocks rotatable on each stem, each block bearing 'difierent legends, a spring normally in engagement with said blocks for each opposite pair of blocks-for releasably holding said blocks against movement, and means for clutching the respective blocks to said stems, where-- by when a 'stemisfrotated in one direction one block carried thereby is rotated, and when said stem is rotated in the opposite direction the other block is independently rotated.

' 3. An indicating device for bridge players comprising a casing, a pair of stems rotatably mounted in said casing and disposed in parallel relationship,- a pair of blocks on each stem, each block being free to turn in one direction relative to its stem, and legends on the several blocks for indicating respectively, honors, trumps, number of bid,

and player last dealt, means for releasably for each block normally in engagement therewith.

4. An indicating device for card players a comprising a mounting, a rotatable stem, a block on said stem, yieldable means for'holdingsaid block against movement, said block having a recess in one face thereof,- an 8 spring on said stem and disposed in said recess for driving the block when the stem is rotated in one direction and permitting the stem to rotate in the opposite direction independently of said block. a

5. An indicating device for card players comprisinga casing, a pair of stems rotatablyjnounted in said casingiand disposed in parallel relationship, a pair of blocks on each stem, eachvblock having fiat periplrer-al surfaces and bearing legends suitable to the card game, means for clutching a block of ,one pair to its respective stem when the latter is rotated in one direction, means for clutching the other block to its stem when the latter is rotated in the opposite direction, means for releasably holding said blocks against movement, and a cover plate for said casing having openings through which portions of said blocks are visible, eachclutch-ing means comprising an element for its block normally in engagement therewith. I I

. 6. ln'a device of the class described, a mounting, a stem rotatable in said mount ing, a block looselydisposed on said stem, means in engagement with said block tor yielding-1y resisting movement thereof, and means carried 'by said stem normally engaging said block causing said block to rotate with the stem when the latter is turned in one direction, but permitting the stem to turn in the other direction independ en-tly ofsaid block said last means being positioned interior of said block.

In testimony whereof- I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

W'ALTER L. SLAYTON. 

